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Aussies fight global warming

Jack Scribe

By Jack Scribe
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Jack Scribe Heroic Scribe

Jack Scribe

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From National Nine News - Australia:

 

Kangaroo farts 'could fight global warming'

 

Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, researchers say.

 

Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence contains no methane and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas.

 

While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack pushing out carbon dioxide, livestock passing wind contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions in some countries.

 

"Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep," said Athol Klieve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.

 

Maybe goats will be next? :P

 

Jack B)

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C James Master Scribe

C James

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Maybe goats will be next? :P

 

I dunno... I've been told that my flatulence is one of my better features. :whistle:

 

Luckily, we don't have any of those in Australia....

 

<looks at Graeme's picture> Ummm, well, spiney, and eats ants... That does fit. :P

 

Well, CJ is fighting Global warming too. Too help his antipodeans friends, he has decided to blast a part of Australia along with its cattle with the help of The Scar.

 

How ingenious, CJ! :P

Ieshwar :D

 

See? I keep telling ya The Scar is alturistic and has good intentions at heart. 0:)

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writeincode Initiate Scribe

writeincode

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<looks at Graeme's picture> Ummm, well, spiney, and eats ants... That does fit. :P

Its an echidna and not really all that spiney when you touch them... Plus they lay eggs. Also it's apparently not related to the anteater. The similarities are attributed to convergent evolution.

Edited by writeincode
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Graeme Master Scribe

Graeme

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Spiny anteater is another name for an echidna.

Not officially. The echidna, one of the two monotremes, is not related to the anteater species found elsewhere in the world. The only similarity is that they both share a common main element in their diet -- ants. Saying that makes them similar would be like saying that humans and tigers are similar because both like eating goats....

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Menzoberranzen Journeyman Scribe

Menzoberranzen

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Not officially. The echidna, one of the two monotremes, is not related to the anteater species found elsewhere in the world. The only similarity is that they both share a common main element in their diet -- ants. Saying that makes them similar would be like saying that humans and tigers are similar because both like eating goats....

 

But there is no such anteater called the spiny anteater and when refers to such, they mean an echidna, correct? They're extremely cute, too, unlike 'real' anteaters.

 

Menzo (who really wants goat meat this Christmas)

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CarlHoliday Heroic Scribe

CarlHoliday

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But there is no such anteater called the spiny anteater and when refers to such, they mean an echidna, correct? They're extremely cute, too, unlike 'real' anteaters.

 

Well, if this article is any indication, echidna and spiny ant(-)eater are somewhat interchangeable names for any of the four species of this monotreme, but is primarily used in reference to the Short-beaked Echidna, which eats mostly ants and termites. The larger Long-beaked Echidna primarily dines on worms and insects in New Guinea and sometimes makes an appearance as guest of honor at some meals (probably when goat is harder to track down). As Graeme said, the name spiny anteater simply refers to its diet, as it is not related to any true anteater. An interesting side note, the echidna has a four-headed penis.

 

 

Carl :boy:

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Benji Adept Scribe

Benji

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Graeme, I'm impressed :great: .

 

 

B) ......I for one can't help but notice that the United States once teemed with millions and millions of Buffalo, so many that when the herd moved they covered states, just where was the global warming back then?

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Jack Frost Apprentice Scribe

Jack Frost

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Spiny anteater is another name for echidna and it was the first word when I heard of this animal as a child.

 

It does not mean it's a true anteater. Do you think Tasmanian tiger is really a tiger?

 

Sometimes an animal will be mistakenly called something due to similar looks to others. By the time they realized it is not what it is, it'ss too late as the name becomes engrained in the language.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna

 

also known as "spiny anteaters"
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C James Master Scribe

C James

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Spiny anteater is another name for echidna and it was the first word when I heard of this animal as a child.

 

It does not mean it's a true anteater. Do you think Tasmanian tiger is really a tiger?

 

Sometimes an animal will be mistakenly called something due to similar looks to others. By the time they realized it is not what it is, it'ss too late as the name becomes engrained in the language.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna

 

I guess one thing we've learned here is that if Graeme offers to share his lunch with you, it's best to decline. :P

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writeincode Initiate Scribe

writeincode

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Spiny anteater is another name for echidna and it was the first word when I heard of this animal as a child.

 

It does not mean it's a true anteater. Do you think Tasmanian tiger is really a tiger?

 

Sometimes an animal will be mistakenly called something due to similar looks to others. By the time they realized it is not what it is, it'ss too late as the name becomes engrained in the language.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna

See but in Australia its official name is used and since we're the ones with the Echidnas why use another name?

 

I guess its similar to the 'Koala bear' terminology misconception- even though it looks a bit like a bear it is not a bear at all, just a 'Koala'. And the Tasmanian tiger thing? Well, aside from being extinct, the tasmanian tiger looks nothing like a tiger at all but was named so simply in recognition of the striped pattern on its back rather than to fuel an implausible misconception that it may be related to the tiger.

Edited by writeincode
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Jack Frost Apprentice Scribe

Jack Frost

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See but in Australia its official name is used and since we're the ones with the Echidnas why use another name?

 

I guess its similar to the 'Koala bear' terminology misconception- even though it looks a bit like a bear it is not a bear at all, just a 'Koala'. And the Tasmanian tiger thing? Well, aside from being extinct, the tasmanian tiger looks nothing like a tiger at all but was named so simply in recognition of the striped pattern on its back rather than to fuel an implausible misconception that it may be related to the tiger.

I'm not saying you shouldn't use the name "echidna".

 

Just saying "spiny anteater" is really another name for them and they actually act like it...the Australian species eats ant and they're spiny. :D But I already know they're not true anteater species.

 

Why use another name? Well when I watched a documentary on the Animal Planet channel about the Tasmasian tiger, sometimes a few Tasmanians on them also call the Tasmasian tiger as thylacines (as it is the offical name). Nothing wrong having two names. ^^

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